Climber



J. A. SERENE Nov.,20, 1934.

CLIMBER Filed March 30, 1932 4 ttomegs Patented Nov. 20, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CLIMBER 4 James Alexander Serene, Kittanning, Pa., assignor of one-half to William R. Serene, Kittanning,

Application March 30, 1932, Serial No. 602,090 I 7. Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in climbers, of the type particularly used by telephone and telegraph linesmen.

The primary object of the invention is the 6 provision of an improvedclimber embodying a safety guard for the climber spear.

A further object of the invention is vision of an improved safety guard for the spears of climbers wherein the guard is of a novel yet simplified'construction, and which is simple in operation yet highly efficient in use.

A still further object of the invention'is provision of an improved safety guard climbersv spears of a construction whereby guard can be readily and easily attached to climbers now in use.

I Other specific objects, novel features of construction and improved results of the invention will appear in the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: j

Figure 1 is a viewin front elevation of aclimber equipped with the improvement constituting the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a detailed side view of the lower'portion of the climber, the safety guard being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the lower end of the safety guard in position for protecting the climber spear.

When at work telephone and telegraph linesmen, of necessity, must go up and down the poles carrying the wires and to facilitate'climbing and descending the poles, these workmen wear climbers of the type such as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. v

It has been found, however, that when these workmen are on the ground and still wearing these climbers that accidents have occurred due to the spears of the climbers catching in something and causing the workmen to fall and there is, of course, a possibility of the spears'injuring some fellow workman.

So many accidents of varying natures f have occurred by reason of thelinesmen keeping on their climbers while on the ground that one of the largest telephone companies require their linesmen to remove their pole climbers as soon as they reach the ground. This causes the loss of a considerable portion of the linesmens time in putting on and taking off of his climbers.

It is tooverccme the dangers inherent in the climber spears when the wearer of the climbers are on the ground that the present invention the f or h the ' has been conceived, which will permit the linesthe :pro- 7 men to keep on his climbers without the possibility of injury to himself and others.

Describing the invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, A represents one of a pair of climbers and B the safety guard.

The climber A, illustrated in the drawing, is of a conventional and well-known type and comprises an elongated leg portion 4 bent at its bottom to form a foot or stirrup portion 5, which when the climber is worn is positioned under the instep of the wearer. The straps or harness used for fastening the climber in place upon the foot and. leg of the wearer is not illustrated, but it will be understood that this harness is attached tothe climber by the eyes 6 and 7 of the device.

socket 9. Very often these spears are removably fastened in place so that they can be replaced.

The spur guard B comprises an elongated piece of spring metal having its one end 10 pivotally attached to a band 11, ofa shape to encircle the leg portion 4 of vthe climber and be securely clamped thereto to prevent longitudinal movement of the guard. The end 10 of the guard is of a width substantially the same as the width of the leg portion 4 of the climber at the point where the band encircles the climber leg portion. As the climber leg portion 4 increases in width downwardly it will be seen that this will materially assist the band .11 in resisting any downward movement. 7 I

The projecting end 12 of the guard has its end and sides bent at right angles to the body portion of the guard to provide an end flange l3 and side flanges 14. This end 12 of the guard is furthermore centrally provided with an elongated aperture 15. Throughout the major portion of its length the guard B is in the same plane, but by referenceto Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that its end l0is bent inwardly as at 16 to place this end of the guard in a different though parallel plane with the major portion of the guard. Similarly the end 12 of the guard is bent downwardly as at 1'? to position it in substantially the same plane as the end 10 of the guard. The guard being made with its two ends in different planes from its center portion, gives to the guard resiliency to hold it in either of the two positions illustrated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

When the climbers are to be used, the guard is positioned as illustrated in full line of Fig. 1

' readily understood that if the climbers are origof the drawing, where it will be seen that the guard parallels the leg portion of the climber and its end 12 is secured in proper position by reason of the spring action of the guard holding it tightly in engagement with the leg portion of the climber with the flanges 14 overhanging the side edges or walls of the climber leg portion. With the guard in this position the spur or spear 8 is uncovered for use.

To protect and guard the spear when the linesman is on the ground, the end 12 of the guard is sprung upwardly and swung out of engagement with the leg portion of the climber. The guard is then rotated or swung downwardly so that it assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing. To position the guard over the spur its end 12 must be lifted slightly against spring tension and lowered so that the portion 18 of the spear protrudes through the opening 15 of the guard. The spring tension of the guard is sufficient to hold it in this position until the guard is manually lifted and swung from engagement with the spur.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in its positions the guard is securely held in place by spring tension. When the guard is not acting as a protector, it is positioned so as not to interfere in any way with the utility of the climber. When the guard covers the spur, it protects it fully by extending downwardly beyond the point of the spur as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The construction illustrated and described is one that makes the guard suitable for sale to owners of climbers in that it can be readily and quickly attached to the climbers. It should be inally manufactured with the guard the band 11 could be eliminated by merely passing the rivet 1%, which forms the pivotal support of the guard, directly through the leg portion 4 of the climber.

Attention is drawn to the fact that the sharpened point 20 of the spur is fully protected. and guarded by the guard B. This point of the spur does not protrude through the aperture of the guard, but is positioned behind the lower end 12 of the guard and above the depending end flange 13 thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a climber having a leg portion and an extending spur, a guard pivotally mounted under resilient tension upon the leg portion of the climber, one end of the guard provided with an aperture to receive a portion of the spur adjacent its pointed end, said end of the guard also provided with depending flanges adapted to engage the opposite edges of the leg portion of the climber at a point above the spur, and the guard adapted to be moved to cause its end to engage either the spur or the leg portion of the climber against spring tension.

2. In combination with a climber having a leg portion and an extending spur, a guard including a band attachable to the said climber, said guard comprising an elongated member pivotally connected to the band, said band adapted to be clamped about the leg portion of the climber at a point above the spur, said guard provided with an aperture adapted to receive a portion of the spur, and the guard further provided at its edges with depending flanges adapted to receive between them the leg portion of the climber, and said guard adapted to be moved to bring its aperture into register with the spur or with its depending edges held resiliently in engagement with the leg portion of the climber.

3. In combination with a climber having a leg portion and an extending spur, a guard pivotally mounted under spring tension on said climber leg portion at a point above the spur, said guard having an end portion bent inwardly toward the climber leg portion, said inwardly bent end of the guard provided with an elongated aperture adapted to receive a portion of the spur at a point above its sharpened end, said end portion further provided at its edges with depending flanges adapted to receive between them the leg portion of the climber at a point above the spur, and the guard end portion adapted to be lifted and. swung into resilient engagement with either the spur or the leg portion of the climber, for the purpose described.

4. The combination with a climber having a leg portion provided at its outer side with a downwardly extending spur, of a guard for said spur, said guard comprising an elongated piece of spring material pivotally connected to the outer side of the legportion of the climber at a point above the spur and adapted to be swung upon its pivot in a plane parallel to the leg portion of the climber, said guard having an end formed to resiliently receive and to cover the spur or to resiliently receive and engage the leg portion of the climber, for the purpose described.

5. In combination with a climber having a leg portion and an extending spur, a guard pivotally mounted under resilient tension upon the leg portion of the climber, and one end of the guard provided with an aperture to receive a portion of the spur adjacent its pointed end, said aperture preventing accidental displacement of the guard from the spur.

6. In combination with a climber having a leg portion and an extending spur, a guard pivotally mounted under spring tension on said climber leg portion at a point above the spur and adapted to be swung in a plane parallel to the leg portion of the climber, said guard comprising an elongated resilient member having adjacent its ends bent portions to position the end portions of the member in planes approximately parallel with but in separated relation to the plane of the main portion of the member, one end of said member having the aforementioned pivotal connection with the climber leg, the free end of the member provided with an elongated aperture adapted to receive a portion of the spur at a point above its sharpened end, the free end of the member further provided at its end and sides with depending flanges, the flange at the end of the member being of less depth than the flanges at the sides of the member, and said side flanges adapted to receive between them the leg portion of the climber at a point above the spur, the parts operating as and for the purpose described.

'7. The combination with a climber having a leg portion provided with an extending spur, of a guard for said spur, said guard being pivotally connected to the leg portion of the climber at a point above the spur and adapted to be swung upon its pivot in a plane parallel to the leg portion of the climber, and said guard having a portion formed to cover the spur or to receive and engage the leg portion of the climber, the parts operating as and for the purpose described.

JAMES ALEXANDER SERENE. 

